Stalybridge Voluntary Twinning Association
Stalybridge Voluntary Twinning Association
Stalybridge has been twinned with Armentières since 1955. In 2005, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the link.
Over the years, many different groups from Stalybridge have exchanged visits with groups from Armentières and many friendships have been formed.
Armentières is situated 60 miles from Calais, 10 miles from Lille and just under 1 mile from Belgium. The town of Ypres is 10 miles away.
Armentières is a lively and thriving town with Flemish-style architecture, beautiful floral decoration, a large outdoor leisure park with water sports, children’s activities and a nature reserve, busy markets and a cultural centre offering a wide range of exhibitions and entertainment.
Our Programme for 2009
Amateur Photographic Competitions
We were delighted that Stalybridge District Assembly agreed last year to invite amateur photographers from Armentières to enter the Andrew Peet Memorial Competition. The closing date was on 23rd January and we are told that entries from Armentières have, indeed, been received. We look forward to seeing them, along with all the other entries, when the District Assembly holds its display of photos.
Amateur photographers from Tameside are expected to be invited once again to submit entries to Photofolie, the competition held in Armentières in October.
For this competition, there is a different theme each year. We expect this year’s theme to be announced around March.
Two years ago, Rob Wild, one of our members, won first prize in Photofolie for one of his entries on the theme of Bodies in Motion. He was then invited to exhibit a selection of his own photos in Armentières, as a guest photographer. The collection that he exhibited was called Ordinary People.
Why not think about entering 1, 2 or 3 photos to Photofolie 2009? Anyone from Tameside may enter. Contact us for details.
Primary School Pupils
In April a group of Year-6 pupils from St. Paul’s C. of E. Primary School, Stalybridge, will spend a week in Armentières. They will have working sessions in school with pupils of the same age from Léo Lagrange Primary School. They will also visit Armentières itself, as well as the surrounding region.
In May, it will be the turn of pupils from Léo Lagrange School to spend a week in Stalybridge. 92 of them will visit this year! They will have working sessions at St. Paul’s School, as well as visits in Tameside and further afield. This will be the fifth year that the exchange has taken place and we thank our colleagues at St. Paul’s School for offering a wonderful opportunity to pupils from both towns.
Sixth Form Students
In the spring, a group of students from the Lycée Paul Hazard in Armentières will be visiting Tameside for the second time. They will stay in accommodation at Tameside Sea Cadets, as do several other of our groups. They will visit Tameside and the surrounding area, and spend some time in Audenshaw School, with Sixth Form students there.
High School Pupils
The Collège Desrousseaux in Armentières is very keen indeed to form a link with a High School in Tameside. This could be in the form of an e-exchange or a real exchange, with accommodation in groups on each side. If you are a Tameside High School that is interested, please contact us.
Pupils from Collège Desrousseaux, wearing poppies, singing God Save the Queen at the ceremonies
marking the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I, 11th November 2008.
Junior Football
During Easter weekend, an under-13 team from Stalybridge Celtic Junior Football Club will be travelling to Armentières to take part in the JAA (Jeunesse Athlétique Armentiéroise) International Tournament. They will be taking parents and other supporters with them. We wish them the best of luck in this prestigious tournament.
On 9th and 10th May, two JAA teams will visit Stalybridge for Celtic Junior Tournament. As well as playing at the tournament, they hope to visit either Manchester United or Manchester City stadium, museum and shop (last year they managed to visit both clubs). For the farewell meal on the Sunday evening, we expect some of them to be once more unrecognisable as French players, as they will have changed into their City or United kit!
We thank Stalybridge Celtic Junior Football Club for agreeing to receive the JAA again this year, and for putting all arrangements in place for the visit during what is a very busy tournament weekend indeed for them. They have a marvellous relationship with the JAA. In the words of the article that appeared in the Armentières local newspaper after the visit last year, the JAA players returned home ‘with their eyes sparkling and their heads full of wonderful memories’.
Why not try to arrange to go and watch some of the Anglo-French matches at Celtic in May? Contact us for details of which day the JAA teams will be playing.
Gymnasts and Amateur Photographers
From 1st to 4th May, our gymnasts and our amateur photographers will be in Armentières for competitions and club activities with their counterparts. The gymnasts have been visiting Armentières and receiving their counterparts here for over 40 years, the photographers for 29 years. Swimmers usually form part of the same weekend visit and they too have been participants for over 40 years. Unfortunately, they are not able to take part this year. We look forward to welcoming them back in 2010.
The Fête des Nieulles in Armentières
The annual Fête des Nieulles takes place during the weekend of 12th and 13th September this year. We hope that Carrbrook Brass will once again be able to attend. They have been an essential part of the proceedings for 16 years now. It is also the turn of the Stalybridge Festival Queen to visit the Fête des Nieulles this time. We have been told that there will be a new format to the Fête this year. We look forward to finding out what it will be!
The Armentières website can be visited on www.armentieres.fr 
0779 2325 877
For more information visit the Stalybridge Town Twinning website.